okay so i just landed at bos and its like a whole thing getting in and out of this place honestly its not lax but its also not like a walk in the park you know what i mean and im sitting here waiting for my bag feeling all the travel fatigue and i just gotta share some thoughts on getting to and from the airport because its something you gotta plan for or youll literally regret it the second you hit the curb.
first off traffic here is just its boston so what do you expect right but seriously its something else like you think youre gonna make good time and then bam youre stuck behind a delivery truck and like three duck boats doing nothing and thats just the way it is so you always gotta pad your travel time and i mean always because thats the one thing you can actually control if you dont wanna miss your flight its honestly so frustrating sometimes because you can see the airport but youre just crawling along and its maddening.
My Go-To Transportation Picks
so when it comes to actually getting to the airport my picks basically boil down to a few things depending on my mood and my baggage situation because those two factors dictate pretty much everything honestly if youre traveling light and you dont mind a little public transit adventure then the t is your best friend and its cheap and it bypasses all that nasty traffic which is a huge win and you can take the silver line right from south station and it drops you literally at the terminal and thats super convenient and saves you a bunch of money but if you have like three suitcases and a guitar and a toddler then forget about it its just not happening its too much of a hassle and too many stairs and transfers and its just not worth the headache.
then there’s uber or lyft which is what most people default to these days and its super convenient because it picks you up right at your door or hotel and drops you right at the terminal and you dont have to think about parking or anything and its great when youre in a hurry or youre just exhausted and dont want to deal with anything but the price can fluctuate wildly especially during rush hour or bad weather and its not always cheap its kinda hit or miss with surge pricing and sometimes you end up paying like fifty bucks for a ten minute ride and its basically highway robbery but sometimes its the only option that makes sense you know.
Is it worth the extra cash?
this is the big question right like when do you just suck it up and pay for the convenience of an uber versus just grabbing whatever shuttle your hotel offers or taking the t and honestly it really depends on your specific situation but heres my raw advice:
- if youre traveling solo with just a backpack or one small carry-on and you have plenty of time and the weather is decent then just take the shuttle or the t its literally fine and youll save a bunch of money that you can spend on a boston cream pie or something fun.
- if youve got like two medium-sized bags or a weirdly shaped item like skis or a giant hat box and youre feeling kinda tired but not completely dead then consider the uber especially if you can split the cost with someone its a decent compromise between cost and convenience.
- if you have three or more heavy suitcases or youre traveling with kids or pets or youre just completely drained and stressed out or its pouring rain or snowing like crazy then literally just call the uber dont even think twice about it the extra twenty or thirty bucks is absolutely worth not wrestling with your bags and battling the elements and frankly your mental health will thank you its recomended you splurge a little here.
- also if youre running even slightly behind schedule and you cant afford to miss your flight then an uber is probably your safest bet because youre going direct and its usually faster than waiting for a shuttle or dealing with potential t delays.
so yeah thats my two cents on getting to and from bos its not always easy but with a little planning and knowing your limits and honestly sometimes just splurging a little you can make it a lot less painful because travel is already stressful enough right and you dont need your transportation to the airport adding to that mess.